Kenya official: Disputed playground where students were tear-gassed does belong to school

Kenyan school pupils and activists challenge riot police during a protest against the removal of their school's playground, at the Langata Road Primary School, in Nairobi, Kenya Monday, Jan. 19, 2015. Kenyan police tear-gassed schoolchildren demonstrating against the removal of their school's playground, the land of which has been allegedly grabbed by a powerful politician, according to a Kenyan human rights activist. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)
(The Associated Press)

NAIROBI, Kenya – Kenya's internal security minister says a disputed playground, where police tear gassed school children who were protesting the take-over by a private developer, belongs to the school.

Joseph Ole Nkaissery on Tuesday ordered the private developer to remove a perimeter wall around the playground which Langata Road Primary School has used for at least 40 years.

The children protested on Monday at the attempt to take away their playground, and were tear gassed by police, leading to widespread denouncements in Kenya of the police action. Television footage showed children, some being carried away, writhing in pain, screaming and choking because of the tear-gas.

Acting police chief Samwel Arachi has said that the police officer in charge during the protests has been suspended.